Paul Walker's Tragic Car Crash in 3D

In Hollywood, good guys don't typically die at the end of the movie. In real life, good guys and bad guys all die at the end of their time on earth. Movie star Paul Walker certainly seemed to be one of the good guys.

Tragically, Paul was killed in a horrific car crash on Saturday. The young man who shot to fame in the "Fast and Furious" movies about car racing, lost his life as a passenger in a friend's Porsche about 30 miles north of Hollywood.

Paul Walker's life existed in three dimensions. First of all, he was the dad of 16-year-old Meadow Rain Walker. In his real life, he was also passionate about marine biology. Paul fulfilled one of his dreams a few years ago as part of a National Geographic Channel series about great white sharks. He was also very involved in charity work, and in 2010 he formed Reach Out Worldwide to aid people struck by natural disasters. Those caring acts all took place in one dimension of Paul's life.

Then there was his life in Hollywood as a movie star. Paul actually began modeling at the age of 2, and started working on television shows at the age of 12. His breakthrough role in Hollywood came when he starred opposite actor Vin Diesel in "The Fast and the Furious." Walker's character, ex-cop Brian O'Conner, became a big favorite with moviegoers of all ages.

And thirdly, Paul Walker had what we all have, namely, an immortal soul. Paul's third dimension is the only one of the three that is in existence today. He will never again star in a Hollywood movie, but he will always exist in what has now become his eternal place of residence.

The moment Paul died in that fiery car crash on Saturday, his soul left his body and went to its new location. This reality is one that is easy to miss, especially in America where many people seem to view movies as "fact" and the Bible as "fiction." And yet, it is the message of the Bible which offers hope for those who grieve the loss of a loved one, and hope to anyone who wants to have their sins forgiven.

Unless a person understands Paul Walker's life in 3D, you might be tempted to view him only as a Hollywood movie star. That was only one of his dimensions. It happens to be the one most people will remember. But for Paul himself, the only dimension that matters now is the one he finds himself in at this very moment.

The love of God is available to anyone, whether he is a movie star or a homeless person. God created us all and He loves us all. That is why He sent His only Son to die for us. We needed a Savior who could literally wash away our sins. That is what Jesus does for a person when someone trusts Christ to forgive their sins. That is what is necessary for a person to know God, and ultimately to get into heaven.

Paul Walker was popular both on-screen and offscreen. But the only thing that mattered to Paul after the car crash was whether or not he was accepted by God and forgiven of his sins. That is the only thing a person cares about once he "crosses over" to the other side.

Paul would have never dreamed that his life on earth would have been cut short in this horrible manner, and certainly not with so much left to do in his career. But now all of that is almost like a dream. The Hollywood success means nothing to a person once he leaves this world. Absolutely nothing.

Anyone can be forgiven today because of what Christ did on the cross. Anyone can be spiritually reborn. God wants that to happen for every Hollywood celebrity, and for every person on earth. Those of us who know Christ are called by God to share the good news of God's love with them. Some people will believe it and receive it, and others won't.

I hope Paul Walker was one of those who accepted it. And I hope the same for you my friend. None of us know when our hour will come, and Paul certainly didn't have a clue that his life on earth would end so suddenly. When it did, two of his three dimensions instantly came to an end. That is the just the way life and death works. It's a hard thing to wrap our minds around, but nevertheless reality.

So considering the fragile and uncertain nature of life on earth, how are things going today in all the dimensions of your existence?

Dan Delzell is the pastor of Wellspring Lutheran Church in Papillion, Neb. He is a regular contributor to The Christian Post.